Of Love (15 page)

“I still appreciate it, sweet.” Dex kept walking, his legs feeling really wobbly. He finished off the Gatorade.

“All my people are going to head home after you say hi. I told them you’d need some downtime.”

“Oh, thank you.” It was nice to have the support, but he couldn’t do social right now. He was too wrecked. “You’ll be staying, though?”

“Where else would I be?”

He beamed at Kent, then nodded. “Okay, let’s go say hi.”

“Works for me, love.”

He just wanted to get the making nice over. Kent’s family was awesome, but Kent was absolutely right. He needed downtime after a race, and he’d started to get used to that downtime being him and Kent.

The girls had made him a card and a poster that everyone had signed.

“Wow, this is really special. It totally makes up for me not placing well.” He gave them each hugs.

“You did great!” Kent’s dad eyed the course. “You think I could do this?”

“I think anyone can. With the right buildup and training.” It wasn’t something you did on a lark.

“Yeah? Do you do that? I mean, for money?”

Kent looked at his dad, blinked. “Are you trying to hire my fiancé?”

“I think I’d like to try this. I’m in good shape.”

“If you’re serious about it, we can have a conversation about it.” He wasn’t a trainer per se, but he’d done the apps, and he knew what he was doing. It could work.

“Sure. Later. Right now you need to recover and rest.” Brian was all smiles.

Kent nodded. “He does. I’ll call you guys later. Love you!”

“Love you!” they all called back.

God. So much family. And he was becoming a part of it. Willingly. Dex looked over at Kent. Yeah, he sure was. He gave them a wave and leaned on Kent as they headed toward the lot reserved for participants.

“How are you feeling, babe?” Kent had him, was holding him like he was precious.

“A little rough. I turned it on hard at the end.” He was still kind of wobbly for sure.

“You were flying.” Kent always thought he did great.

“Thanks, sweet.” He took another kiss. “I was having trouble finding my mojo.”

“Yeah? What’s up?” Kent got him in the car, buckled up, a bottle of water in his hand.

“There’s just a lot on our plates, you know? I was having trouble blocking it out.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, honey.” Nothing seemed to faze Kent. Nothing.

“Not your fault. Except that you’re so hot that I asked you to marry me.” He gave Kent a wink.

“You… are you having second thoughts?”

“What? No. I just wish we were already on the other side of the wedding.” He’d envisioned the two of them going to city hall and then throwing a big dinner at a restaurant afterward. Kent’s mom had kyboshed that idea just by her sheer enthusiasm for throwing them a “real” wedding.

He hadn’t had the heart to say no.

“I don’t want to do a big wedding,” Kent said quietly.

Dex whipped his head around. “Really? Because your mom….” She had some plans. Like lots. Big plans.

“I know you and she have made all these plans, but…. The babies are coming and the construction, and I’m tired, Dex. Already. I love you. You love me. That’s enough, isn’t it?”

He stopped and looked at Kent. Really looked. His lover was drawn and tight-lipped. Tired. Kent was tired. God, how had he missed that? He’d been so wrapped up in his own head.

“I was just trying to make you and her happy. I just want something small and intimate. A big dinner at the restaurant after for everyone….” It looked to him like maybe they were both on the same page.

“Let’s just go on Monday, please?” Kent asked.

“Just the two of us?” It sounded perfect.

“Yes. You. Me. Like it started.”

He laughed and hugged Kent, leaning hard against him. “Oh yes. Please.”

“Yeah?” Kent relaxed, the ease visible, and started the SUV. “Let’s go to the condo and get you in the shower.”

“That sounds perfect.” He put his hand on Kent’s thigh, just resting it there lightly. “I’ll be able to call you husband on Monday.”

“My husband. Wow.” Kent grinned at him.

“You’re not going to think less of me if I hide behind you when you tell your mom, are you?”

“We’ll call her. She’ll put all that energy into a baby shower.”

“Oh God.” Dex laughed. That thought didn’t feel nearly as stressful as the whole wedding thing had.

“Yeah. We need to pick cribs out, strollers. Stuff.”

“Not today, though.” Dex didn’t want to have to think about all that. He just wanted to go back to his place, shower, and sleep, make love to his man.

“No. Today you recover, and I have Antonio’s being delivered later.”

“Really? Oh, I could so go for some scallops Alfredo.” He could almost taste it, and his stomach growled.

“I sent the e-mail this morning.”

“You really are too good to me.” Dex squeezed Kent’s leg gently, letting his eyes close.

That was the thing he had to remember when he couldn’t get his thoughts to turn off. He wasn’t in this alone, he was in it with Kent. It didn’t get much better than that.

“WE’RE GETTING
married, Mom. Just us. I need you to deal with the baby shower. I’m so overwhelmed by the stuff.” And that was that. Kent didn’t want a huge deal. He wanted a nap.

He heard her gasp, heard her start to say something several times. Then she sighed. “Are you sure? I would do all the work.”

“Mom, I love you, but I’m tired and I need you to help with the whole shower thing, registering. All that. We’ve still got to hire a nanny.”

“You know I would be happy to—”

He cut her off. “We’re getting a nanny, Mom.”

“Okay, okay. I’m going to be a frequent visitor, though. Those are my grandbabies.”

“I know, and I want you to be involved, but you have a life too. We’ll hire someone amazing,” he promised.

“As long as you don’t invite her to your wedding, I’m good with that.”

“It’s just going to be me and Dex. We’ll have a big supper this weekend to celebrate, complete with reservations and dress-up clothes.” And that was what he wanted, what he needed.

“Okay. You’re always going to be my baby boy. And I love you.”

“I love you. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, honey.” The line went dead.

Kent sighed, knowing she wanted a huge, fabulous gay wedding, but he didn’t. He wanted a peaceful, quiet afternoon thing with his lover. Which is why he’d called her this morning instead of earlier. He didn’t want to chance anyone showing up.

Dex came in, wearing a suit and tie, looking so handsome. “Is this good? I like the purple tie, but the navy blue one was nice too.”

“You look amazing, lover.”

Dex stopped to pose for him. “Thanks. You’re looking pretty damn good yourself. Like you’re getting married or something.”

“I know, right?” Kent gave a little twirl.

“Careful now. You’re going to make me want to jump your bones pre-ceremony.”

“I think we’re supposed to be virgins,” he teased.

“We are! Born again, huh?”

“You and me, babe.” Kent took Dex’s hands, held them. “We’re going to get married. You and me.”

“I know.” Dex squeezed his hands. “It’s amazing.”

“Yeah?” Part of him still didn’t believe it, that Dex wanted him, the babies. Everything.

“Yeah. You’re something special and all mine. If that’s not amazing, what is?” Dex asked.

“I love you. I want to spend the rest of our lives together.” Forever. Kent wanted forever.

“Ditto. And I promise to have better vows than that when we’re in front of the judge,” Dex said.

“Are you scared?” Kent asked.

“Of marrying you? Not at all. Are you?”

“No. No, this is my dream, love. My soul.”

Dex beamed at him and tugged him in for a long, tight hug. “Good. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Kent grabbed his wallet. “Let’s go, babe. Let’s do this.”

Dex was right there with him, no hesitation at all, backing up his words. “I can’t wait to make you Mr. Lochland.”

“Oh. Yes. Yes, I can’t wait.” His eyes filled with tears, and they headed through the moving boxes to the elevator.

DEX LAY
on the big hotel bed, glass of champagne in his hand, feeding Kent the biggest chocolate-covered strawberries he’d ever seen. It had been a little wedding gift from him to Kent—the fanciest hotel suite he could find.

They’d made love in the bed, in the tub, in front of the fireplace in the living room, and in the bed again. He was exhausted, melted, and totally happy, wrapped up in Kent.

“Mmm. Hey, Mr. McMann.”

Dex couldn’t believe the peace in Kent’s face.

“Hey, Mr. Lochland. You want another strawberry? Some more champagne? Or do you want another go-round with me?” Dex waggled his eyebrows.

“Oooh. Yes, please!” Kent kissed him and grabbed another strawberry to share.

Dex ate it with him, both of them working from one end, their lips soon sliding together as the flavor of chocolate and strawberry danced on his tongue. God, this was perfect. Magical. Everything he’d imagined.

He traced Kent’s features. His husband’s features. His husband. Wow.

Kent’s phone went off and Dex groaned.

“Let me see who it is.” Kent grabbed it, and to Dex’s surprise, didn’t just turn it off. “Hey, ho— What? What? When? Where? Okay, which hospital? No. No, we’re coming. Just relax. We’re coming.”

That didn’t sound good. “Hospital?”

“They can’t find the babies’ heartbeats. They’ve rushed her to the hospital. Elizabeth. Our babies.”

“Oh God.” Dex got up and went to their bags, pulling out clothes. Having the babies scared the shit out of him, but the thought of losing them hurt him somewhere deep inside.

He pushed clothes into Kent’s arms and pulled a pair of jeans on, a T-shirt. “I’ll call us a cab.”

“I…. Okay? Okay? I…. Dex?”

Dex grabbed Kent’s arms and looked into his gaze. “They’re going to be okay. This is our day.”

“They’re going to be okay. You swear?” Kent asked him.

Dex nodded. “I swear.”

He couldn’t know that, he knew he couldn’t. It was what Kent needed to hear right now, though.

Kent took a deep breath. “Okay. All right. Let’s go. They need us.”

“You should put those clothes on first, sweet.”

“Oh. Oh right. Clothes.”

“Yeah. Come on. Get dressed so we can go.” He grabbed his phone and ordered a taxi online.

Kent was buzzing, face pale as milk, eyes bruised.

“It’s going to be okay,” Dex said again. Maybe if he said it enough, they would both believe it.

“Uh-huh. Those are our babies,” Kent told him.

Dex had to help Kent put his clothes on, and then he dragged the man out the door to the elevator. He held on, squeezing Kent’s hand. They had this.

It felt like forever before the cab showed up but in reality was less than ten minutes. The trip to the hospital felt the same. The entire time Kent never said a word, eyes squeezed tight, pulse throbbing in his neck.

“We’re here, sweet.” He paid the driver, and they got out, went into the hospital. “What floor is she on?”

“Maternity. Three.”

They took the stairs, and Elizabeth’s husband met them as they passed the elevator door, his face drawn. “They’re alive. All three. They’re in distress, but they’re all alive.”

Dex grabbed Kent’s hand, squeezed tight. “See? I told you they were going to be okay.” He took a breath. “What does in distress mean?”

“They’re running a bunch of tests. I’m worried about her. She swelled up.” Hank’s eyes filled with tears.

Kent grabbed Hank and hugged him tight. “She’s going to be fine, damn it.”

“They all are.” Dex nodded, making shit up because he had no idea if they were or not.

“Can I see her?” Kent asked.

Hank shook his head. “Not right now. She’s spread and naked.”

Dex tried not to gag.

“Can we get you some coffee or something, Hank?” Kent asked.

“No. No, but I hear congratulations are in order?”

Kent nodded, made an effort to smile.

Dex took Kent’s hand again. “Today.”

“That’s amazing. I’m so sorry to interrupt your honeymoon, but….” Hank waved his hand at their surroundings.

“It’s okay. This was important. We wanted to be here. Needed to,” Dex said, realizing it was true.

Kent nodded, holding his hand tight. “This is our family too, huh?”

“Where should we wait?” Dex asked. He wished Hank had wanted coffee. He hated waiting around uselessly, and that would have given him and Kent something to do.

“We…. Come on.” Hank headed down the hall.

“The babies… are they going to be able to stay cooking?” Kent asked.

“I don’t know, Kent. They don’t know anything yet,” Hank told them.

Kent held onto Dex’s hand, thumb rubbing restlessly. Hank led them to a little waiting room that was currently empty, and Dex sat, pulling Kent down with him, keeping tight hold of Kent’s hand. God, this sucked. And there wasn’t a damn thing they could do to help.

The doctor came out and went to Hank. “Mr. Rogers? She’s stabilized, but she’s going to be admitted. Her blood pressure is dangerously high.”

Dex and Kent stood but hung back, letting the doctor talk to Hank. He knew they both wanted to know how the babies were, but it felt wrong to just blurt it out.

“…all three babies are still safe now that her blood pressure is lower. The twins are surprisingly healthy and a good size. The other one has a low weight.”

The babies weren’t all twins. Triplets—whatever it was called. Dex was learning something new every day. “Is that dangerous?” Dex asked, unable to keep his question in. He had no clue about babies and pregnancies.

“If they’re all delivered now, the chances for complications for the smallest infant are high, yes. The boys are in good shape,” the doctor told them.

Their little girl was in trouble. Dex clutched Kent’s hand, his heart beating hard in his chest. This was a terrible, terrible feeling.

Kent squeezed his fingers. “What can we do?”

Hank shook his head. “I don’t know. The kids….”